2010 recap: The Cougars finished 2-10 (1-8 Pac 10), their fourth consecutive losing season. The high point was a win over Oregon State in Corvallis, ending a 16-game conference losing streak. WSU was at least somewhat competitive in all but three of their losses, an improvement from recent seasons.

Key losses: Offensive linemen Zachary Williams, who was selected by Carolina in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, and Micah Hannam.

Coach: Paul Wulf, 5-32 in three seasons at WSU.

The games: vs. Oregon State in Seattle, Oct. 22; at Oregon, Oct. 29

2011 question: Can Washington State escape the Pac-12 cellar? Based on schedule alone WSU has a chance to post its best record since winning five games in 2007. Two of the Cougars Northwest rivals lost their best offensive players -- Jacquizz Rodgers at Oregon State and Jake Locker at Washington -- and the Cougars play each of the conference's newcomers, Utah and Colorado. The nonconference schedule -- Idaho State and UNLV at home and San Diego State on the road -- also is easier than in recent years.

Offense: The Cougars have eight returning offensive starters, but their hopes largely rest on quarterback Jeff Tuel (2,780 pass yds, 18 TD, 12 INT in 2010), who enters his third season as a starter. WSU average a paltry 2.6 yards per carry rushing last season and will rely on redshirt freshman Rickey Galvin for improvement. Galvin, an undersized back with good speed, was slated to play a big role in the offense as a true freshman. But he broke his arm on his first carry and received a medical redshirt. Defense: The Cougars return seven starters from the nation's third worst defense statistically. Most of those players are undersized, a big reason that opposing teams moved the ball easily against WSU. Defensive end Travis Long and linebacker C.J. Mizell will be counted on to anchor the front seven for the Cougars. All four starting defensive backs return.

Prognosis: The Oct. 22 Washington State-Oregon State game is intriguing for several reasons. First, Oregon State will be looking for revenge after being upset by the Cougars at home last season. That game ultimately kept the Beavers out of a bowl game. Second, the game will be in Seattle, not Pullman, giving the Beavers a chance to player at an NFL venue (Century Link Field) and reducing the Cougars' home field advantage. Third, the way the schedules set up, both teams will see this as a game they really need to win. For WSU, the matchup comes Beavers in between games against conference favorites Stanford and Oregon and for the Beavers it comes before games against Utah and Stanford. It's hard to imagine a scenario where the Cougars could beat Oregon in Autzen Stadium or in which they could post a winning record.